Bangkok: The Cabinet approved the appointment of Sihasak and Songchai as Thai representatives to the UNCLOS meeting. Today at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkaew, addressed the Cabinet's decision to appoint himself and Ambassador Songchai Chaipatiyuth to the Thai negotiating team for the Compulsory Conciliation Commission under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He also mentioned the appointment of two additional Thai conciliation commissioners: a South African and a German national, both former presidents of the International Tribunal for the Sea. Once both Thailand and Cambodia have two conciliators each, a fifth person will be appointed as a chairperson to facilitate their work. This process must be completed within one month before talks can begin.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Sihasak clarified that the mediation committee is not a court and its role is to support approaches to resolving issues that the Thai side must discuss with the Cambodian side. He emphasized that the initial scope of mediation should focus on the demarcation of maritime boundaries and the continental shelf. Mr. Sihasak noted that while Cambodia has requested to discuss joint development areas, the priority should be on clearly defining the maritime boundaries before considering joint development of underwater areas.